Monrad Metzgen - Government Service

Government Service

In Belize he received his education at St. Mary’s Primary School, and later at Wesley School and the Diocesan High School for Boys (now St. Michael's College) before entering the British Honduras Civil Service as a Temporary Clerk at Her Majesty's Prison on 4 March 1910. Monrad became an erudite person by his own private studies.

Capt. Metzgen entered the Civil Service as a Copyist on 4 March 1910, and ten years later he was appointed Internal Revenue Officer. Subsequently he acted as District Commissioner in Orange Walk, an Auditor and then Director of Colonial Audits. He was made Chief Income Tax Collector in January 1924. He was Treasury Superintendent in 1932 and District Commissioner in Stann Creek in 1935.

Since then and until (and even after) his retirement from the Service as District Commissioner of Stann Creek some years ago, after an accident in the Stann Creek Valley which only a man of his amazing constitution could possibly have survived. A serious, near-fatal accident eventually caused his retirement in 1939. On several occasions he acted as District Commissioner of the Orange Walk District and as Auditor; and it is worthy of mention in the latter connection that he received special commendation from the Director of Colonial Audit for work done during the period 1927-28. He was appointed Treasury Superintendent in September 1932.

He held this position for three years and assumed the Commissionership of the Stann Creek District in September 1935. His administration was a boom to Stann Creek and the inhabitant of that District will long remember his energetic and productive services. Last year he promoted a successful Goodwill Flight, which took him and other leading citizens of Stann Creek to every section of the Colony. That was the forerunner of a mammoth Agricultural Exhibition planned for Stann Creek but unhappily the sad event which befell the Captain precluded the carrying out of his plans.

Captain Metzgen has served the Government of this country in numerous ways and his services have earned him the thanks and commendation of succeeding Governors and other leaders of state.

Completing nearly 30 years of faithful and very valuable services to the Government and people of British Honduras, Capt. Monrad Sigfried Metzgen OBE., District Commissioner of Stann Creek and Acting Superintendent of the Treasury, Belize, spent the last day in the Civil Service with numerous friends and well-wishers throughout the Colony.

As is mentioned, Capt. Metzgen's retirement was hastened by a disaster which occurred in the Stann Creek Valley during the latter part of last year, when he was nearly crushed to death in a collision while in the execution of his duty. He spent a long period in Stann Creek, Belize and Guatemala City Hospital and his suffering was great. Those who were familiar with his case regarded it as a miracle that he was spared but they attributed the saving of his life largely to his amazing constitution and his indomitable courage. Although he regained much of his power to serve his country, his retirement was deemed necessary.

POSTS HE HELD

Here are some the posts filled by Captain Metzgen in the Government Service: Acting Asst. Keeper, King's Warehouse; Internal Revenue Officer; Principal Officer, Income Tax; Special Officer of Customs; Acting Colonial Auditor; Acting District Commissioner of the Orange Walk District; Chief Income Tax Collector; Treasury Superintendent. He was Private Secretary (temporarily) to the Acting Governor (Lt. Col. Maxwell Hinds Smith) on a special mission to the Cayo District in 1922. He also served as Secretary or Member of numerous Government and other Boards and Committees, including in 1926 the Fort George Hotel Committee. He was at one time a member of the Belize Town Board (now the City Council).